On June 6, 1849, Mexican-American War hero General William Jenkins Worth, established a camp on the bank of the Trinity River to protect settlers from Native Americans, and the fort became his namesake. In August 1849, Major Ripley S. Arnold was ordered to move Camp Worth to the north-facing bluff which overlooked the mouth of the Clear Fork. 

He called this outpost, Camp Worth in honor of General William Jenkins Worth, hero of the War in 1812 and the Mexican American War. The United States War Department officially named the post Fort Worth on November 14, 1849.

The purpose of the fort was to protect East Texas settlements from raids by Native Americans.

Despite myths to the contrary, there were no major battles with native Americans at the fort.

The outpost was abandoned on September 17, 1853. The citizens who grew up around the fort, took over the abandoned buildings and set up clinics, schools, stores and hotels. It was those citizens who planted the seed to a great city.

A town grew up alongside the river. In 1856, Fort Worth became county seat of Tarrant County.

Because of its proximity to the Chisholm Trail and convenience to Midwestern markets, transportation and communication played a key role in Fort Worth’s growth.

A boom started after 1867 when millions of longhorns were driven through town en route to Red River Crossing and Chisholm Trail. Cowboys got supplies for the long uptrail drive and caroused in taverns and dance halls.

After the Pacific Railway railroad arrived in 1876, increased cattle traffic won city the nickname of "Cowtown" and the Fort Worth Stockyards was transformed into a prized livestock center.
During this wild era of cattle drives that passed through Fort Worth, gambling parlors, saloons, and bakeries sprang up around town and became known as “Hell’s Half Acre."

By 1900, Fort Worth was one of world's largest cattle markets. Population tripled between 1900 and 1910. Growth continued, based on varied multimillion-dollar industries of meat packing, flour milling, grain storage, oil, aircraft plants and military bases.

During World War I, the U.S. Army established Camp Bowie, which trained 100,000 men in Fort Worth. Located in the Arlington Heights area west of Dallas, the United States Army Air Force converted three airfields into training centers for aviation activities at Camp Bowie. When oil was discovered in Texas, such refinery and pipeline companies as Sinclair Refining Company, Texaco, and Humble Oil and Refining Company (later Exxon Company, U.S.A.) established operations there, it led to the establishment of oil stock exchanges in Fort Worth.

The city also developed  a center of culture, with universities, museums, art galleries, theatres and a botanic garden.

Fort Worth continues to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., according to U.S. Census estimates adding almost 20,000 residents from July 2015 to July 2016.

Fort Worth is now the 5th largest city in Texas.